Wonderland
by anonymous1912
Summary: Olivia has found herself in a place she never thought she'd be in; jail. Now she must find a way to prove her innocence from a place that makes it almost impossible to do so. She'll get help along the way, but ultimately it's going to take everything she has to get out of here with her sanity and her heart intact.


**AN: To be honest, I never thought I'd be writing this type of story, but I think it could be fun. Happy reading ;)**

* * *

It was like they sucked out all the color. Olivia rubbed her eyes, blinking rapidly to try and correct her vision as if her that was the problem. Had she not been wearing a pink top, she would've sworn she had gone color blind. The one fluorescent light that was mounted to the ceiling flickered constantly and the buzzing noise it made could drive a person insane. There were no windows in the room, just the flickering light, four gray walls, a camera, and a cold concrete floor. Olivia paced the floor, at first back and forth, then in circles, and then inevitably, she traced the shape of the room, tapping the corner of the walls to keep track of time. It took her three times around to reach sixty seconds and she made sure she kept the same pace so that she was accurate. She assumed she had been in the room for fifteen minutes before she started pacing and she was on her twenty-first lap by the time the heavy door opened and someone entered.

She had seen this woman before, she was the one that had put her in the room. Her name tag read S. Langston and common sense told Olivia that she was one of the guards. The woman was about as tall as she was, but a lot older. Her read hair had grayed at the temples and the wrinkles next to her eyes spoke of her age. She had a blasé expression and Olivia wondered if it was because she was clearly of retiring age but was still working in this god awful place. They stared each other down for what seemed like a while, but was likely only seconds. When the stare-off ended, Olivia noticed she had a large plastic bag, a change of clothes, and shoes folded neatly in her hands that she let drop to the ground. Langston dug in her into her pocket and pulled out blue disposable gloves, uttering one command as she did, "strip."

Olivia looked at her, not truly believing what she had just said. She wasn't dumb, and knew the routines of places like this, but it was almost an out of body experience to have to go through it. Olivia just stood there, not moving, not following the directions. She could see Langston getting irritated for having to wait.

"Pope, you are going to be here for a while so I think it's important that we get a few things straight now. I don't like to repeat myself. Ever. When I tell you to do something, you do it the first time or I'll write you up for being incompliant and you don't want that. Since you didn't know this, I'll give you a pass just this one time. Now strip," Langston finished with a harsh tone.

Olivia didn't know what would happen if she got a write up or how many she had to get before she got punished. She scoffed at that word; punished. She was already being punished and the thought of having something else on top of what was already horrible was an almost inconceivable thought. So she stripped. She held back her tears of shame and embarrassment as she took her clothes off as quickly as possible to get it over with. Each article of clothing she took off was like shedding a layer of pride. The room was cold and her skin prickled both from fear and the temperature. She paused slightly at her underwear, hesitant to be completely naked in front of a stranger, but eventually took those off too. Modesty overwhelmed her and she went to cover up with her arm but a sharp look from Langston let her know that she couldn't. Olivia turned her head and averted her eyes, staring at the gray concrete floor wishing she were anywhere but here. She thought that getting undressed would be it. That it couldn't go any further or get any worse than that, but she was wrong.

"Arms out," Langston commanded and Olivia complied. "Open your mouth. Move your tongue from side to side, back, and out." Once again Olivia did as she said. "Lean forward and shake your hair out." Olivia did as she was told, hoping that would be the last of it. "Bend over and part your cheeks."

Olivia stopped. The whole procedure had been personal, but this was just plain invasive. She thought it was unnecessary and was only implemented to humiliate her further. She didn't want to do it, but what choice did she have? Reluctantly and slowly, she followed her directions, afterwards being told to squat down and cough. Finally after that, the search was done. Olivia stood up straight and cast her eyes down again, not having the courage to look anywhere but at the ground. Langston picked up the clothes she had dropped and tossed them at Olivia. She caught the top and underwear but dropped the bottoms. She quickly put on the black and white uniform, so happy to be covered up that she didn't mind wearing the hideous granny panties and the too big clothes. She slipped on the lace-less white shoes, thinking that out in the real world she would never be caught dead wearing them. But she'd have to let go of that. She wasn't in the real world anymore and potentially would never be again.

"Fold up your clothes and put them in the bag. Take off any jewelry you have on and put that in the bag, too." Again with the harsh commands.

Once she was done, Langston walked up to Olivia and took the bag. She tucked it under her arm then grabbed her cuffs off her belt and secured them to Olivia's wrist. After that, she opened the door and led Olivia out. The feeling of being cuffed was something she'd never get used too. It was uncomfortable and effectively evoked the feeling it was supposed to: trapped. They walked down a long, dark hallway towards what Olivia could only assume would be her cell. It had the same colors as the room, no windows, and that same flickering, buzzing light. They stopped briefly to pick up a thin blanket, an even thinner pillow, toothpaste, a brush with missing bristles, and the dullest razor Olivia had ever seen. Then they turned the corner and there was no more denying where she was at. This was jail. Plain and simple, and there would be no going back.

* * *

Olivia thought that being in the holding cell waiting to be processed was the worst part. There were drug addicts, drunks, and hardcore criminals. More than one offered to be her 'daddy' while others straight out told her to watch her back when she got in there. Being petite and pretty, Olivia knew she was going to have a tough time. When she was taken out of the holding cell and put in the dark room, she had been relieved. But as they entered the main pod, panic sunk in and a deep realization hit. She was the only one truly worried about her well being and there was no one here that was going to protect her. Sure there were guards posted everywhere, but she was utterly and completely alone. She took in her surroundings.

The pod was a large, open, two floor area. The cells didn't have bars like in the holding area, but were gray doors with tiny windows and a slot in the middle. In the center, there were four round tables with attached benches. On top of the tables were painted on chess or checker boards that the women were currently playing. When they realized someone new came in, all of the women milling about stopped and looked at her. A few of them smiled, more than a few yelled, and a couple of them just sneered. There were people from all races, shapes, and sizes. Olivia wondered what they did to land them in here and she wondered how many were guilty and how many were actually innocent. As the noise continued, Olivia stuck to her original plan going in and kept her head down and her mouth shut.

Langston led Olivia up the metal stairs and down the hall to the third cell, the black writing above reading B613. This was an important moment. She was about to meet her bunkmate for the first time. She could be a serial killer, a thief, a child abuser, anything. She could make Olivia's life a living hell or she could become a potential ally. It all depended on the first impression she would get and what her gut instinct would tell her. Langston swung the door open and pushed Olivia in and un-cuffed her.

"Whelan, I expect you to explain to Pope the rules and regulations of this place. Let her know exactly how things work here." And with that, Langston turned and left.

Olivia stood sheepishly in the doorway, not moving an inch. She hoped she wasn't visibly shaking, but at this point, she wasn't sure. The other woman sat her book down and got up from her spot on the bottom bunk, a smirk on her face. She was pale and Olivia wondered if that had to do with the lack of sunlight or if it was just genetics. She did have red hair and faint freckles, so she guessed it had more to do with the latter. The woman's blue eyes pierced into Olivia and a stare down had commenced. _This is it, time to establish that I'm not weak,_ Olivia thought and straightened her spine. She stared her down, not flinching, but instead premiering a false bravado she'd been working on since learning she was coming to this place. Whelan seemed to accept and respect this because she looked away first.

"Abby," she introduced herself, sticking her hand out to shake.

"Olivia." They shook hands and Olivia felt at ease for the first time since arriving hours ago.

"So what are you in here for?" Abby asked right off the bat.

Olivia had been expecting for people to ask, but she didn't expect for strong emotions to accompany that question. "I...um…I don't really want to talk about it," Olivia stammered.

"Look, I get it. You don't have to tell me until you're comfortable. But just know we are surrounded by nosey bitches and they're going to find out whether you tell them or not." Olivia just nodded her head but didn't respond.

"Anyways, you can have the top bunk," Abby turned and pointed to a locker in the corner, "The left side and second shelf is yours. Don't touch any of my stuff without asking." She glared at Olivia for emphasis. "Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, the toilet only flushes twice an hour so be smart about when you go. If you have to go number two, I suggest waiting until five-of so that you can courtesy flush. Shower is at six and six, you're only required to attend one. Breakfast is at seven, lunch at twelve, and dinner is at five which is in a few minutes, and you do not want to be late. Only thing worse than the slop they feed us is the 'peanut butter' sandwiches they give when they run out of food. We have work from eight until three and an hour of yard time from four to five. Lights out is at ten. Any questions?"

"When is phone time and visits?" Olivia questioned, knowing her mother was worried sick.

"Phones are from eight to nine p.m. Visits are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from two to four. They'll come get you out of work if your visitor comes during that time. You get half an hour to talk to whoever comes to see you. But through a phone and bulletproof glass. Fun times," Abby finished sarcastically. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Good, let's go eat."

They walked out of the cell and joined the other women all dressed the same way. Olivia stuck close to Abby, not wanting to get lost in the crowd and end up next to someone who meant her harm. Every once and a while on the way to the cafeteria, Abby would look over at Olivia or touch her hand to let her know that everything was alright. Well, as alright as things could be in jail. Olivia appreciated the gestures. Being there was an overwhelming feeling and Olivia clung to the tether that Abby had extended her. They took a couple of turns, walked down a long hall, and joined an even larger group of women that streamed in from other pods. They reached the cafeteria, a long line already formed, and stood with everyone else waiting to get their dinner. The space reminded Olivia of her high school cafeteria, except with a lot less color and cheer. There were long tables with little round seats attached. Cliques sat together, clearly racially divided, sharing jail gossip and plans of what they were going to do when they got out. The line moved quickly, everyone who received their tray having a huge look of disappointment on their face. Yup, just like high school.

It was soon their turn, the meal today being what looked like chicken, rice, and a medley of frozen vegetables. They even got a little square of cake on the side. Olivia followed Abby from the line and to a table in the far corner. There were three women sitting at the edge of table and Abby introduced her to everyone. There was a brunette named Quinn, a blonde named Liz, and a girl with mousy, blondish hair named Amanda. Each were very forth coming with their crimes: Quinn and her hacker boyfriend were accused of torturing their boss when he found out they were swindling thousands of dollars, allegedly; Liz was accused of having her ex-husband kidnapped so that he wouldn't get custody of their children, allegedly; And Amanda was accused of killing the wife of the man she had been having an affair with, again, allegedly.

Olivia just nodded her head and listened, horrified by the brutality of the crimes. She had expected Abby to share her story as well, but she didn't. She just ate her food, completely uninterested in what everyone else was saying. Olivia learned that they were also in the same pod and figured they'd all become friends of sort in the time she stayed here. When it came time for the inevitable question, what did she do, Olivia again declined to answer. They took her response at face value and didn't push, instead moving on to a different topic. They started talking about how they thought some other prisoner was screwing a guard, which turned into which prisoners were screwing each other, which turned into which celebrity they'd screw if they ever got the chance. The whole time Olivia just listened to the juvenile conversation, answering direct questions, but otherwise just trying to keep down the nasty food she put in her mouth.

About fifteen minutes into dinner, Olivia was daydreaming about being somewhere else when someone came up and tapped her on the shoulder. Olivia jumped, completely caught off guard by the action. She turned to see who tapped her and was a little surprised to see two black women. "Hey new girl, you can come sit with us," the shorter of the two told her with a cock of her head in the direction of who the 'us' was.

Olivia looked and saw a group of about five to six black women, all laughing and smiling at a joke one of them probably told. "I'm fine here, thanks."

"Uppity bitch. Sit with the white folk if you want to, but don't come crawling back to your sistas when they play your ass." The shorter one said was attitude, sucking her teeth and turning to the leave. The other one followed, flipping Olivia off as she did.

"You could've gone to sit with them, Olivia," Abby said when they were out of earshot. "Prison is...easier if you sit with people you have something in common with." They all knew that that something in common was skin color.

"I'm comfortable here," Olivia said quietly. Really, she was only comfortable with Abby and wasn't planning on leaving her side any time soon.

The rest of dinner passed by without incident and they soon were shuffled off to their cells for thirty minutes of down time before the phones opened up. Abby informed Olivia that she would get two more uniforms and some more underwear in the morning but any other personal items she'd have to buy it from the canteen. Abby ticked off a few of the most popular items from memory, ramen noodles being at the pinnacle. Olivia was surprised by some of the other things they could order, the items ranging from tampons to a radio; the radio being what Abby was currently saving for. Olivia promised to chip in when her parents put money on her books and that seemed to win some major brownie points with the red head.

"So how long have you been here?" Olivia asked out of curiosity.

"Eight months. I was labeled a flight risk and they set my bail at a ridiculously high amount. And I know what you're next question is going to be and I'm not sharing until you do. We have to have a mutual level of trust for each other as cellies."

"I can respect that," Olivia said from her top bunk. She stared at the white ceiling, adjusting again to try to get comfortable on the lumpy mattress. She had to fold her pillow three times to get any kind of neck support and she knew that when she finally made it out this place, she'd have to see a chiropractor. "So what were you on the outside?"

"A baker. I owned my own business for a while, and it was successful, too. Probably because I went to law school for business before I decided to follow my own path and go to culinary school." Abby told her.

"You were a lawyer?" Olivia asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yup. Surprising?" Abby asked, sounding a little offended.

"Only because I'm a lawyer, too."

"Harvard."

"Yale."

Abby started laughing and Olivia followed suit. "How did two ivy league educated women like us end up in this place?" Abby asked the question that had been weighing on Olivia's mind.

"One day, I'll tell you my story." Olivia answered.

"And I'll tell you mine in return. Just tell me one thing: did you do it?" Abby questioned boldly.

"Nope," Olivia answered as nonchalantly as possible.

"Neither did I." Somehow it was clear that neither believed the other.

Before they could think any further on the other, there was a rush of footsteps as everyone moved towards the phones. Olivia got up, eager to talk to her parents, and headed out of her cell. She was surprised that Abby didn't follow behind, instead she grabbed her book and continued reading. She looked up at Olivia hanging in the doorway and gave a sad shake of her head. Olivia made a mental note to ask about that later. She joined the masses and followed the crowd down another long hallway. There were guards at periodic points, their eyes always watching to make sure nothing went down. The guards were a good mix of men and women, all different ages and walks of life. Where they didn't differ was the look they each had on their faces. It was a tough grimace accompanied by lifeless eyes. Olivia wondered how long it took to master the intimidating face or if this place really just made their lives a living hell. But at least they got to go home at the end of the day. Not like her, she was stuck here until she could prove her innocence.

The crowd eventually stopped and formed a line, Olivia falling somewhere towards the middle. There were six phones that looked like old pay phones lined up on the walls. There were chairs so that the women could sit if they so chose, but it seemed like most decided to stand or lean. Olivia could overhear women crying as they talked to their mothers, significant others, children, and various other family members. Others laughed, trying to muster a façade that they were doing alright. Some asked for more money on their books while others just wanted to know a bit of news from the outside. But like clockwork, after about fifteen minutes, they would rush their goodbyes and the phone would go dead. The women would leave the phone, their shoulders slumped and a forlorn look on their face. Their only connection to the outside world, other than letters, had just been severed. For a brief moment they could pretend they were just at a hotel or on a business trip, and as soon as that line went dead, so did their hopes. They were back to being prisoners.

The line moved surprisingly fast and before she knew it, it was her turn. She was just about to head to the open phone when another woman came walking down the hall, completely skipping the line. The women she skipped cussed and ranted, but none of them tried to stop her. Olivia had already waited all day to talk to her parents and she decided in that moment, she wasn't going to wait any longer. She saw the other woman coming up to her from her peripheral, a pretty brunette with cold blue eyes, but she ignored her. Olivia went to the phone, it being the farthest one down, and sat in the chair. She thought that that would be the end of it, but she was wrong. As she was dialing the number on the phone, the other woman came up and pressed down the lever to end the call.

"It's my turn. Get up," she sneered in a calm voice, leaning over Olivia.

Olivia looked at her, not exactly feeling intimidated, but not completely comfortable either. "I've been waiting in line like everyone else. Look," she pointed down the line, "another phone just opened up. You can take that one." Olivia bargained, turning to dial the numbers once more.

And once again, she pressed the lever. At this point the other women were looking and Olivia was once again caught in a power conundrum. "This is my phone. I won't repeat myself again. Get up."

Olivia was caught between a rock and a hard place. She could feel her breathing accelerate and her palms became sweaty. But she made her decision. Her original plan to cause no friction flew out the window. She couldn't let herself look like a punk in front of everyone, because then she'd be taken advantage of the rest of her stay here. "No."

The brunette looked genuinely shocked that someone refused her. She squared her shoulders and balled her fists, looking like she was two seconds from punching Olivia dead in the face. Olivia braced herself for impact, but before anything could happen, a guard appeared. It was a female guard she hadn't seen before, but Olivia was eternally grateful. "Back off Mellie or you'll get another demerit. You're only one away from getting solitary. Either get in line like everyone else or go back to your unit."

Mellie and the guard squared off for all of two seconds before Mellie threw her hands up in defeat. Olivia was extremely relieved as Mellie began walking back to her unit. But just before she turned back to the phone, she caught the look in Mellie's eyes. It was deadly. Olivia had crossed her and there was going to be hell to pay. Olivia was shook for several moments after that as she tried to imagine what would happen to her. But the same guard that had just come to her rescue scolded her for taking up time one the phones. She had two choices: use the phone or get up. Olivia quickly dialed her mother's number and waited impatiently for her to pick up. She heard her accept the charges and soon they were connected.

"Hi baby, how are you doing?" Her mother, Maya, asked worriedly.

"I'm ok, Mom. Just a lot to get used to." Olivia somehow managed to keep her voice steady despite what just happened.

"Did you eat? How's the food? Is anyone causing you trouble?" Her mom listed off, trying to fit everything in in the short amount of time they had to talk.

"I just got back from dinner. The food is terrible, but you can put money on my books and I'll be able to buy things from the canteen," Olivia answered, avoiding the last question.

"Oh, of course. Your father will get on that first thing in the morning. We can't have our baby starving. Is something wrong? Did someone threaten you?" Her mother asked again, sly to Olivia's avoidance.

"Thank you. And no, no one threatened me," Olivia lied.

"Olivia…"her mother started, and Olivia could tell that her lie wasn't believed. But Maya decided to let it go. "I just want you to be safe. We're going crazy with worry. We'll come visit you as soon as we can. I promise. But everything is fine here, I don't want you to be worrying about us. We're all doing ok, just hanging in there." She paused for a quick second, then came back, "Oh, here's your father," her mother passed the phone.

"Olivia, I have already found you the best lawyer. His name is Harrison Wright. You should expect a visit from him tomorrow to discuss your case." That was classic Eli, always straight to the point.

"Dad, I already have a lawyer," Olivia reminded him.

"That incompetent son of a …"her father cursed under his breath before he gathered himself. "If he had done his job right to begin with, you wouldn't have gotten indicted and wouldn't be in jail right now. I fired him and found you someone better."

Granted, Stephen wasn't the best lawyer in the entire world, but he was her friend and he had tried his best to get her off. It was a tough case from the beginning and towards the end, they thought they had made some headway. But the prosecutor had gotten important evidence thrown out and there was that pesky tape that the cops had severely edited to make it sound like a confession. Stephen had fought them as best he could, but in the end, he just couldn't win. Maybe her father was right. She had heard of Harrison before. They hadn't personally gone head to head yet, but she knew that he had a good record. "Dad…I don't know."

"Olivia, let us do this for you. I will not have any daughter of mine in jail for a crime she didn't commit." Her father was adamant about wanting to help and she knew that there was no way he'd back down. Before she could acquiesce, the phone started to beep signaling they had thirty seconds left of conversation. "We love you, Liv. We'll be there to visit soon. Stay strong, we'll beat this. I promise…"her father spoke and she could hear her mom saying the same in the background, both of their voices cracking.

"I love you guys, too," Olivia managed to squeeze in before the line went dead.

She sullenly hung up the phone, her shoulders slumped and tears threatening to break free just like the other girls. That was perhaps the quickest fifteen minutes of her life and she'd only have that once a day. She made her way back to her pod, almost getting lost at one point, but managing to find her way. Abby was in the same position as before, book clutched in her hand, lounging with her knees up and one leg crossed over the other. She briefly looked up when Olivia entered the space but continued reading. She asked Olivia how her conversation went, turning her book page as she did. She answered that it went well and that was the end of that. Olivia slipped off her shoes and neatly lined them up next to Abby's along the wall. Abby had already initialed hers on the inside so there was no way there'd be a mix-up. Olivia hoisted herself up onto the top bunk and thought about her day. She thought about how she got there and how she was going to prove her innocence. A lot was on her mind, but she was also incredibly tired. Eventually she felt herself drift off.

She felt she had been asleep for maybe ten minutes before she heard the cell door slam shut. It shocked her awake and she looked up to see two very large white women coming towards her. Before she could even react, one of them yanked her from the top bunk. Olivia hit the ground hard. She fell on left arm and she could feel the bone snap. Her system went into shock and though there was immense pain, she couldn't make a sound. The two women started kicking her and Olivia did her best to fold into fetal position to block the blows. There were hits to her ribs, her stomach, her thighs, and one to the side of her face. She turned on her side, looking for help, and noticed that Abby was missing from her bed. She didn't know where she had gone, but couldn't focus on that at the moment. She was fighting consciousness, the pain from the heavy kicks nearly knocking her out. Finally it stopped and she could hear one set of footsteps retreating. The other hadn't moved, but a shadow came over Olivia as the other woman crouched down.

"Mellie sends her regards," the voice spoke, a cynical laugh echoing the cell at the end.

She quickly left after delivering that message, leaving Olivia balled up on the floor. She didn't know how much time had passed before Abby came back. Olivia was in the space between reality and passing out and could only hear clips of what Abby was saying. She thought she heard her call for help, but wasn't sure. She felt Abby gingerly touch her arm to see if it was broken and she heard a quick intake of breath to confirm that it was. Olivia was moaning in pain and Abby was promising that everything was going to be alright. This time she didn't leave her side and Olivia appreciated that. A heavy set of footsteps came near and panic seized Olivia. She thought her attackers were coming back and she could feel tears trickling down her cheeks as her body shook harder. A deep male voice rang through the air and Olivia knew that it was a guard. He asked Abby a few questions, the main one being 'who did it?'" Abby kept mum and Olivia knew two things in that moment; the first being that she couldn't trust Abby, and the second being that she couldn't snitch on Mellie, either.

The man grew frustrated with the lack of answers and soon crouched down next to Olivia. She could feel him studying her, trying to assess her injuries and find the best way to move her. After a few moments, he scooped her up in his arms, cradling her close. Olivia immediately felt safe and she struggled to look up at the man giving her that feeling. All she could really make out were strong, gray eyes that bore down at her. The position he had her in made it feel like her ribs were threatening to break through her skin and Olivia whimpered in pain. The side of her jaw hurt and she knew it was going to be swollen for days. Her body ached, even breathing being painful, and all Olivia wanted was for the pain to stop. He continuously murmured that everything was going to be alright as he carried her all the way to the infirmary. Somehow, she believed him.

A nurse immediately pointed the man towards a bed and he hurriedly went to it to set Olivia down. "C.O Grant, do you know what happened?" The nurse began asking as she assessed Olivia's injuries

"You know the prisoners. They live by a code and nobody will break that code. So we'll have to review the tapes to see who came in and out of the cell before and after the incident. It's really a shame though," he remarked, his voice tight with annoyance. "This is her first day here."

"Welcome to Wonderland," the nurse remarked sarcastically before sticking a needle into Olivia's vein and making her world go black.

* * *

 **AN: So I know many of you may see a connection to OITNB simply because its set in a jail, but it's not going to be nearly as comical as that show. There might be a little comedy, simply because I like to add some in from time to time, but for the most part, it's going to be serious. Maybe not Uhuru serious, but serious enough, lol. Anyways, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you think Olivia did to land herself in jail. Or what you think Abby did to go jail as well. Do you think either of them is innocent?Mellie is already causing trouble, wonder what she did to land herself in jail? And how will Fitz play into this story considering his job (though that answer should be obvious, lol). Let me know your thoughts and predictions.**

 **Till next time...**

 **P.S: In case you're wondering or I didn't make it clear, Olivia is in jail awaiting trial. She's hasn't been convicted yet.**


End file.
